Fixing member manufacturing method and fixing member manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A fixing member manufacturing method includes: a step of coating an outer peripheral surface of an elastic material with an adhesive; a step of externally fitting a resin tube around the elastic material coated with the adhesive; a step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at a longitudinal end portion; a step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at the other longitudinal end portion except for a circumferential part of the resin tube; a step of squeezing out an excessive adhesive from between the elastic material and the resin tube, in a direction from the longitudinal end portion to the other longitudinal end portion of the resin tube; and a step of fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the adhesive.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fixing member manufacturing method comprising:
 a first step of coating an outer peripheral surface of an elastic material with an adhesive; 
 a second step of externally fitting a resin tube around the elastic material coated with the adhesive; 
 a third step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at a longitudinal end portion; 
 a fourth step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at another longitudinal end portion except for a circumferential part of the resin tube; 
 a fifth step of squeezing out an excessive adhesive from between the elastic material and the resin tube, in a direction from the longitudinal end portion to said another longitudinal end portion of the resin tube; and 
 a sixth step of fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the adhesive located between the elastic material and the resin tube. 
 
     
     
       2. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of elongating the resin tube, externally fitted around the elastic material in said second step, in a longitudinal direction,
 wherein the resin tube is temporarily fixed onto the elastic material so that a state in which the resin tube is elongated in the longitudinal direction is maintained in said third step and said fourth step. 
 
     
     
       3. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a step of holding the resin tube at the longitudinal end portion by a first holding tool; 
 a step of holding the resin tube at said another longitudinal end portion by a second holding tool; and 
 a step of decreasing, before said elongating step, a distance between the first and second holding tools which hold the resin tube. 
 
     
     
       4. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said third step and said fourth step are performed in parallel. 
     
     
       5. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein in said fourth step, at said another longitudinal end portion of the resin tube, a plurality of portions to be heated and a plurality of portions not to be heated are alternately formed with respect to a circumferential direction. 
     
     
       6. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein in said third step, the resin tube is heated at the longitudinal end portion over a whole region with respect to a circumferential direction. 
     
     
       7. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising, after said sixth step, a step of cutting away a region where the resin tube is temporarily fixed onto the elastic material. 
     
     
       8. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the resin tube is a fluorine-containing resin tube. 
     
     
       9. The fixing member manufacturing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the fluorine-containing resin tube is a PFA tube.